成语

chéng yǔ

CL 个 gè 条 tiáo

HSK 2.0 Level 5 HSK 3.0 Level 6 Noun Rare

Save to list

Definitions

1. Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation
2. idiom
3. proverb
4. saying
5. adage

Stop forgetting what you study.
Build recall daily.

Try HanyuGuide's Chinese review system with multiple choice, typed recall, tone-aware practice, and reviews scheduled before memory fades.

Start Free Trial $9.99 / year

Lifetime for $19.99 Try the 30-second demo

Word relationships

Related words

2 items

• 歇后语 xiē hòu yǔ 歇后语 xiē hòu yǔ anapodoton (a saying in which the second part, uttered after a pause or totally left out, is the intended meaning of the allegory presented in the first part) A two-part allegorical saying, often more playful than 成语.: anapodoton (a saying in which the second part, uttered after a pause or totally left out, is the intended meaning of the allegory presented in the first part)
• 俗语 sú yǔ 俗语 sú yǔ common saying Common saying or colloquial proverb, less literary than 成语.: common saying

Usage notes

Collocations

Used with verbs like 用 (yòng) or 引用 (yǐnyòng): 使用成语 (use an idiom) or 引用一个成语 (quote an idiom).

Example Sentences

1 shown

这个 成语 很难理解。

This idiom is hard to understand.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 成语

• 合成语境 合成语境 hé chéng yǔ jìng: composite context
• 合成语音 合成语音 hé chéng yǔ yīn: assembled phonology
• 外来成语 外来成语 wài lái chéng yǔ: loan idiom
• 成语典故 成语典故 chéng yǔ diǎn gù: historical or literary anecdote that gives rise to a saying
• 成语接龙 成语接龙 chéng yǔ jiē lóng: game where the last word of one idiom 成語|成语[chéng yǔ] is the first of the next

Child Words of 成语

• 成 成 chéng: to succeed
• 语 语 yǔ: dialect
• 语 语 yù: to tell to